ASHLAND, MASS. (WHDH) - A grandfather and grandson narrowly avoided injury when they were pulled to safety moments before a speeding commuter rail train smashed into their broken-down car in Ashland on Thursday night.
The two got lost and ended up getting stuck on the tracks, so they ran to a nearby fire station for help but by the time they returned, the outbound 6:45 p.m. Worcester train was barreling toward their car.
Firefighters pulled the two out of the way of the speeding train and the stunned group watched as the train pushed the vehicle several hundred feet down the tracks.
“Thank goodness they were out because there is no question, you can see the condition of the car, they would have been seriously injured or killed,” Ashland Fire Chief Vincent Alfano said.
The collision caused the train to get stuck for several hours, which created a confusing ordeal for passengers.
“We didn’t even notice anything happened,” one commuter said. “There was no sign of crash or anything. It was just smooth riding and then all of a sudden we’re told that we hit a car.”
The car was towed from the scene around 9 p.m.
No one was injured in the incident.
One person was taken to a hospital for anxiety.
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